


The Fox and the Hound

by TK_DuVeraun



Series: Legacies (SW:TOR) [5]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Original Character(s), Original Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2018-12-13 08:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11755608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TK_DuVeraun/pseuds/TK_DuVeraun
Summary: Carina from Clan Meshurok gets hired by Sith Lord Faximil. She's less than pleased until she meets her Imperial liaison: Fox. He's the partner she didn't know she wanted and she's going to fight to keep him.---Can be read alone, but there is some crossover with other parts of the series.**Chapter 9 is new**





	1. When the Day Met the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story begins chronologically before even Scoundrel Shenanigans, some 15 to 20 years before the Sacking of Coruscant. Later chapters continue the 'current' storyline. I apologize for any confusion, but it is thematically better as one story rather than the first section separated and made into Part 1 of the series.
> 
> And a Recap from Honor and Duty: Much has been written about Mandalorians with varying levels of legitimacy over the years. However, canon as dictated by our new lord and master Disney is: 1, 2, Clone Wars, 3, Rebels, Rogue One, 4, 5, 6, 7(, 8). In this story, they are portrayed as depicted in the game (SW:TOR) and how I first learned of them.
> 
> I don't know why, but people get really No True Scotsman about Mandalorians. If that is you, you probably won't like this.
> 
> I don't consider this a songfic at all. However, each chapter is titled after a song that I found thematically suitable. After this chapter, they will all be listed at the end with a link to a youtube video. (It will be a lyric video when I can find them and otherwise it will be an official video.) They will be posted at the end because they may contain spoilers. (And if you don't share my taste in music, I don't want you to forget between chapters, click the link and be terribly disappointed.)
> 
> [When the Day Met the Night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrgSvsafqcE) \- Panic! At The Disco

“Carina, the ‘Hound,’ from Clan Meshurok. Thank you for coming. I am Captain Ivan Mardh under Lord Faximil,” Captain Mardh says. The Imperial’s uniform is perfectly pressed with starched lines sharp enough to cut. He stands at rest next to an empty chair reserved for Lord Faximil.

Carina stands opposite him, an intricately carved desk inlaid with blue mother of pearl between them. Though she gives the Imperial a once-over, her attention is locked on the Sith standing with his back to them as he stares out the floor to ceiling windows. She keeps her eyes locked on him when she answers his man. “A pleasure to meet you, Captain. As we told your man when he visited the camp, we are warriors from several different clans here for a hunt.”

“Indeed, but that is no reason for us to doubt the capabilities of your people. As you no doubt already know, there are no Imperial garrisons in this sector. His Lordship had no reason to believe the Republic would stoop so low as to attack a civilian colony, but here we are.” Mardh’s tone is even, but since she’s still wearing her helmet, it’s possible he doesn’t know she’s not looking at him.

“Olkin II is resource-rich. The ore veins practically jump out of the cliffs. _We’re_ surprised this place isn’t overrun with Imperial- miners.” Carina bites back the word ‘slaves’ at the last possible second, but she sees the Sith turn his head partially in her direction. The face on his mask is grotesque and inhuman. The ridged ‘skin’ is a sickly grey except for the sharp lines of Sa’alle’s mark.

A shiver goes through Carina’s body, though her armor hides it. The clans keep shared records of which Sith aren’t to be trusted and Lord Sa’alle is their number one persona-non-grata. They don’t trust the crazy bitch to keep herself limited to _jetii_ and _dar’jetii_. She swallows and fights the urge to clench her hands into fists.

“My Lord doesn’t want mining operations to inconvenience his colony, but that is neither here nor there.” Mardh turns his left hand palm up and closes his fingers over the datapad Lord Faximil sends to him with the Force.

Carina’s eyes narrow behind her T-visor. She isn’t impressed by the show of ability - she knows any half-wit apprentice can make objects float. She _is_ impressed by the careless synergy between Sith and Imperial.

Mardh glances over the datapad before holding it to Carina. “This is the standard rate per head. Captain Eklund and I will negotiate fees with any specialists who wish to sign on.”

The number is high, nearly twice what Clan Meshurok was paid for their job. Carina knows better than to look a gift nerf in the mouth, but she was chosen to be the liaison for a reason. “This isn’t any standard _I’ve_ been offered.”

The captain is unphased. “It’s a simple matter of supply and demand, Hound. If your people refuse, we lose the colony. It’s not such a large number, split fifty-thousand ways.”

Carina frowns and finally looks back at the Captain. She tries to get a feel for him from his expression and posture, but he’s frustratingly stiff and professional. “I’ll take it to the warriors. We’ll have a number for you in the morning.”

“If you’ll allow it, I’d like to have my lieutenant accompany you to answer any questions your fellows may ask.”

“Yes, fine. Send him along.”

\---

Carina hops off of her speeder bike at the edge of the Mandalorian hunting camp. She sighs and leans against it, waiting for Lord Faximil’s man to show up. After a few minutes, she removes her helmet. She’s braiding her black hair when the Imperial speeder parks next to her.

The lieutenant is wearing armor, rather than the stiff uniform like Captain Mardh. He runs a hand over his auburn hair before smiling politely at her. “Carina Meshurok? I’m Lieutenant Fox.”

“That’s great. You can go tell His _Lordship_ that we’re not interested.”

“Excuse me?” The lieutenant blinks several times and takes a step toward her.

“We’re not going to take the job.” She ties off her hair and throws the braid over her shoulder.

He frowns at her and narrows his blue eyes. “If you and your people leave, we lose the colony. This is civilians. Children.” Fox gestures sharply with his hand.

“So they can surrender.” She shrugs.

Fox shakes his head. “They’re loyal to Lord Faximil. Even assuming the Republic is here for altruistic reasons, a rather wild assumption, the colonists will resist and it wouldn’t take much to push the Republic soldiers to reprisals.”

“We’re not going to work for Sa’alle.” Carina slashes her arm between them. “Do you really think we don’t know what she does?”

Fox’s frown falls off his face and he sighs. “I can understand that, but Meshurok, _please_. Faximil isn’t Sybil and these people need you.”

“And if her apprentice starts playing her game, I, personally, am in danger.”

“Faximil’s not her apprentice.” He runs a hand over his hair. “He's her brother and just as disgusted as you are. Ivan thinks she's going to look closer to home if she doesn't get what she wants from Jedi."

Carina flinches and her stomach roils at the thought. She takes a few deep breaths. A regular Sith, and certainly one as demented as Sa’alle, would never work so well with his Force blind soldiers. “ _Fine_. I'll present it to the others, but they may not be convinced.”

“Surely there's _something_ we can do to convince them?”

“He stays in his little base. We command our own people.”

Fox shakes his head and interrupts before she can continue. “The first is fine, done, but Eklund needs control of any snipers. He's a chiss and even when he explains his strategies, they don't make sense.”

“As long as it's not the Sith, I can probably convince a few. Do you even have the authority to make these deals?”

“You're underestimating how much we want to save Olkin II.”

  
  
  



	2. Follow My Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carina gets compensation for a hunt interrupted.

“Please correct my ignorance, but I wasn’t aware signing a contract with a rather suspect Sith was a cause for celebration,” Fox says. He gestures to the quickly forming battle circle in the center of a ring of torches. He’s leaning against the temporary smithy and smirking at Carina.

“We had to cancel the rest of the hunt to handle your  _ emergency _ ,” Carina sends back with a roll of her eyes. Despite the comment, she’s hardly upset with the Imperial. He’s shown the clans more respect than any of them were used to and even ignored a rather pointed insult from one of Clan Tiyaar’s warriors.

“I would think a Republic warship landing on world is an emergency by Mandalorian standards, too.”

“If not for you, we could’ve been off-world and halfway to our  _ yaime _ before they even knew we were here.”

“Point being, you’d still have to cancel the rest of the hunt.” He points to her as he says it. The torches cast flickering shadows across his face, but do nothing to hide the amusement.

Carina knocks his hand down. “You’re insufferable.”

“I’m competent and factually correct.”

“Alright, that’s enough of that.” Carina grabs Fox by the back of his chestpiece and hauls him towards the Circle. “I hope you can use that vibroblade.” She switches to  _ mando’a _ . “ _ Hey boys, let’s see if the Imp can hold his own. _ ”

The clanging of metal on metal is nearly deafening as the collected Mandalorians cheer in favor. Fox laughs and draws his vibroblade and fiddles with the controls until it glows to life on the practice setting. His opponent is tall and looks lanky even with his full  _ beskar _ . Sharp gears are splashed across his cuirass in bright purple paint, marking him as one of D’narr’s warriors.

Carina leans against one of the torch posts and watches. Fox trades a few easy blows with D’narr before both speed up. D’narr is quick and moves with good form, but Carina can see he’s not used to fighting someone with Fox’s technique. Fox seems to notice it, too, since he switches his base form and starts using a different attack pattern altogether. Laughter bubbles up in Carina’s chest when she recognizes it.

D’narr signals his defeat and rips off his helmet. He gasps and pants in the clear night air, steam rising off his bald head and sweat dripping off of his horns. The zabrak looks up at Fox and takes the Imperial’s hand, using it to straighten up. “You’re better than I expected, Imp.”

“I’m the liaison for a reason.” Fox pats him on the back and watches him leave the Circle, no sneer on his face or any sign that he cares the man he fought was an alien.

“Don’t make his head any bigger, D’narr. Some of us have fought Echani before.” Carina ignores D’narr’s offered blade and draws her own vibrosword. It’s shorter, but heavier than D’narr’s. She doesn’t give Fox a chance to prepare before she leaps at him with a heavy underhanded slash. They fight back and forth across the ring and while Carina knows the others are cheering and shouting, she can’t hear anything over the pounding blood in her ears.

Fox doesn’t fight her with his Echani style. First, he slips back into his original style, but when he loses ground, he falls back onto a patchwork combination of techniques and forms. It feels almost Mandalorian with how many cultures it draws from. 

They’re evenly matched and after a few more passes, call it draw. They clasp hands in the center of the ring to raucous, somewhat drunken, cheers and then leave the ring, accepting heavy cups of watered down  _ tihaar _ . Carina drinks deeply and throws her arm over Fox’s shoulders when he sputters and coughs. “Atta boy. We’ll make a proper warrior out of you, yet.”

“I don't see how my inability to drink this poison you call alcohol correlates to my capabilities as a fighter,” Fox says. He takes a deep breath before chugging the rest of his cup and making a disgusted noise. 

“This is proper Mandalorian  _ tihaar. _ You should be flattered we served you some.”

“It tastes like you brewed it in someone's armor."

Carina grins. “Well, Clan D’narr did bring it and you never know with them.”

With a grin plastered on his face, Fox shakes his head and chuckles. “You're an unrepentant barbarian, Hound.”

They’re far from the center of the camp and the Battle Circle, though they can still hear muted cheers and sharp claps of metal on metal. In the dim torchlight, Carina grabs Fox's shoulder and spins him around to face her. 

“A barbarian whose _ pleasure _ hunt you interrupted. I think beating the tar out of these Pubs will handle the latter, but I intend to take the former out of your hide.” She leaves him no time to respond before pulling his mouth hard against hers. 

Fox returns her fervor, making a pleased sound in his throat. He grabs her braid in a tight fist and holds her face in his left hand. Eventually, he pulls back enough just to gasp for breath and speak. “I'm flattered, make no mistake-"

Carina kisses him again. “Then why are you talking?”

“I have no intention of leaving the Empire.”

“Kriff, Fox, I'm asking for a kriff, not a proposal,” she says before pulling him in again. 

Somehow, Fox manages to remove his gauntlets and hers before he replies. His voice is colored by something like a growl. “You're Mandalorian; I think that was a fair assumption.”

“I think you need to stop thinking so much and put your energy into taking off your armor.”

“If you want to be taken on the ground, far be it from me to stop you.”

“First,  _ I _ will be taking  _ you _ and second, if you could shut up for five seconds, I'd let you into my tent.”

Fox says nothing to that. 

\---

Carina yawns and watches Fox move around her tent in the near darkness. Though the only light is from the torches outside, he has no trouble dodging around the piecemeal furniture and far-nicer armor stands. “You don’t want another round in the morning?”

Fox chuckles, but continues to pull his armor on. “Want? Yes. Unfortunately, I have a meeting in…” The light from his chrono is nearly blinding when he checks the time. “Five hours, give or take. And Mardh is unbelievably cross if you’re late.”

“Make sure your Sith knows that fully half of the warriors that sign on are doing it because you impressed them.” Carina yawns again and curls herself tightly in her blankets, since she knows she won’t be sharing them.

“You underestimate your own influence.”

“You need to stop assuming you know my estimates of things.”

Fox finishes replacing his armor before he leans over and kisses her softly. “This was fun. We should do it again, if we have the chance.”

“Pub soldiers are idiots. We’ll have time.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully unnecessary glossary:  
>  _yaime_ \- clan camp/home (plural)  
>  _beskar_ \- slang for (Mandalorian) armor  
>  _tihaar_ \- strong (and notoriously disgusting) alcoholic beverage
> 
> The theme song for this chapter is [Follow My Feet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVSB8rzjsLA) by The Unlikely Candidates.


	3. Without My Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The walls standing between Carina and her Imp start falling down.

Rain drips down out of the foliage and splatters against the armored warriors waiting beneath the trees. Carina leans against one of the thick boughs, working on a guard rota for Clan Meshurok while she waits for the scouts to report in. The lieutenant is with his own men, not waiting for a fight, not guarding civilians, no. Lieutenant Fox with his polished armor and pressed uniform is out farming with the rest of the Imperial soldiers. She grins at the thought.

“Is the Sith really keeping his distance? He’s giving you instructions through comms, isn’t he?” The kid from Tiyaar has his helmet on, but it doesn’t matter that his old brands are covered when everything out of his mouth screams  _ former slave _ .

“He’s literally never spoken a single word to me. Talk to D’narr if you want to know what he’s got in his ear, but as far as I’ve been told Captain Eklund is still the one calling the shots.” She bites back a sigh and just braces herself for the next round of accusations.

“Can you even hear anything when you’ve got that Imp moaning your ear?”

“No one’s making you fuck the Imp and it’s none of your business if I am.”

“When you’re the acting commander, it’s everyone’s business.”

“Stand down, kid. Your behavior on this op has been abysmal. I don’t want to bring it up with your  _ alor _ , but if you can’t pull your head out of your ass, I’m going to have to. The food is good, this is the best  _ I’ve _ been paid all year, and these Imps actually trust us to take care of our own ops.” A few of the others turn their heads as she spells it out.

One of the kid’s clan brothers claps him on the shoulder. “Come on, Atonai, she’s right. No one made you sign on. Act like a warrior or you’ll be back in remedial training when we get home.”

Carina watches them move back into position and is still staring after them when the scouts come in with their report. She skims through it and looks back up at the scouts. One is Ty’lk from her own  _ aliit _ and the other is an Imperial whose armor is covered in an inch-thick layer of mud and grass that’s just starting to feel the rain as it drips off.

Carina shakes the datapad at them. “Two Jedi?”

The Imperial nods. “A master and his padawan, though the student’s proficiency is unknown.”

“Their faces and voices are disguised,  _ alor’ad _ . Modulators and some kind of holo distortion field.  _ Jetii _ don’t pull this kind of mask shit. This isn’t as simple as annexing a colony.” Ty’lk shakes his head and runs a hand over the hilt of his vibrosword. 

“And you passed this onto Captain Mardh?” Carin asks.

“Yes. He and Lord Faximil are trying to ID the master as we speak.” The Imperial grabs a clump of mud that’s sliding off his arm and tries to stick it back on before dropping it to the trampled grass. “He wants to meet with you, tonight. This Jedi master might require direct intervention from Lord Faximil. I know your people didn’t want him around, but surely it’s better than the alternative.”

“I’ll see what they have to say, meet with the other captains and we’ll reassess the situation.” She looks back at the datapad. “How confident are you in these troop positions?”

The Imperial tries to smile, but it doesn’t really get past the anxiety on his face. “Confident enough I’ve sent someone back to take holos of the boys in the fields. ...Not enough to bring the farmers back out, though.”

“Alright. Keep me in the loop.”

\---

“ _ This _ is your barracks?” Carina whistles as they walk through the lobby and into the elevator. She’d caught him after her meeting with Mardh and Faximil and then followed him back.

“There are never many soldiers here and the locals are really appreciative of… us.” Fox rubs the back of his neck and shrugs one shoulder at her.

“I wasn’t suspicious until you said it  _ like that _ .” 

Fox doesn’t respond until they’re inside his room. “They don’t mind the soldiers, but the only one they really care about is Lord Faximil.”

“Do they just… not know who his sister is? He wears the Sa’alle marks on his mask. He’s not trying to hide it. I know there must be  _ some _ people who enjoy living under the heel of a Sith, but-”

“They’re all traitors, Meshurok.”  Fox’s cheeks are flushed with emotion and he gestures sharply between them. “All of them. As far as the Empire is concerned, they should be put to death,  _ including _ the children.” He shakes his head and paces across the living-dining area of his apartment. “He hid their crimes and gave them a home here.”

“How can  _ children _ be  _ traitors _ ?”

“Because the Empire is made of  _ insane _ , paranoid Sith who think that if you have enough ability with the Force to move a  _ hair _ a single, bloody centimeter, then you deserve to face Sith training or die. Which is in practice  _ just dying _ because they’re too weak to do anything but  _ farm _ and  _ write symphonies _ !”

“Are you saying… They’re all Forcers?” 

Fox sighs and sinks heavily onto his couch. “Not all of them. Not even most. But he couldn’t just secret away the children. Who would care for them? He just transplanted whole families here. That’s why it’s so far from the nearest garrison. He doesn’t want to risk discovery.”

She sits next to him with a soft thwump. “No wonder you’re all so loyal to him.”

“That secret is worth the lives of everyone on world, Hound.” Fox puts his face in his hands, no doubt regretting letting his mouth run. 

Carina pats his back gently. She wants to reassure him, but doesn't think any words about her trustworthiness will help.  “The others don't need to know. Do the Jedi know? Is that why they're here?”

“I don't think so. They would have to bring more Jedi just to keep accidental Force use under control, let alone any resistance.” He drops his hands with a sigh and meets her eyes. “Maybe you should go back to the camp.”

“I'm where I should be.” She stands and pulls Fox to his feet. “You, Lieutenant, should let your Sith and your captains worry about that. I'll give you a back rub and we'll see how you feel. I don't have to be back at the camp until my meeting with the other captains in the morning.”

Fox stops her before she can pull him into his bedroom. He stares into her eyes, but if he finds what he’s looking for, he doesn’t react to it. When he speaks, his voice is soft. “Flawed as it is, I'm not going to leave the Empire.”

“I won't ask you to.”

\---

The promise sits heavy in her chest. Her meetings and discussions with Captain Mardh have made it clear that Lord Faximil will be looking to hire Clan Mershurok when this is over. She’s grown used to Lieutenant Fox fighting at her right hand and translating her orders from sensible into Imperial Basic.

Carina can’t help but notice that he’s serious and quietly professional with other Imperials, but then comes to life around  _ mando’ade _ . Every smile and laugh he gives her  _ vod _ make the words burn on her tongue, but she understands loyalty. She understands fighting for something  _ bigger _ than yourself.

So she fights by his side, easily cutting down Republic troopers. She stands back and watches him field questions and complaints from her people. She brings him watered down  _ tihaar _ and together they watch the others spar and discuss the next day’s strategy. They rarely have the opportunity to spend the whole tonight together, but when they do, it’s the best sleep Carina’s ever had outside of the  _ yaim _ .

They’re camped on one side of a ford, not expecting an attack, but prepared in case the Pubs try to attack Olkin City from behind. Carina sends the scout back on his patrol and turns to the lieutenant. “For as worried as you Imperials were about the Jedi, he hasn’t shown himself.”

“We’ve killed or captured at least twenty-five percent of his forces. That he hasn’t shown himself worries me more, if I’m honest.” He rubs his cheek and his stubble is loud against the inside of his gauntlet.

“What does Faximil think?”

“What?”

“Your Sith, what does he think?”

“That the Jedi possesses an ability the Council would rather people not know about.”

“So, any ability, really,” Carina says.

Fox chuckles, but there’s no real mirth in it. “I’m expecting some kind of Death Touch. Watch your six.”

“I always do, Fox.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Without My Hands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2tt0bj1WjI) \- Quietdrive.
> 
>  **Hopefully Unnecessary Glossary**  
>  _alor'ad_ \- literally clan leader's child, but functionally (and typically) used for "Captain" or similar. In Honor and Duty I used it mostly literally, though that is by far the less common usage. In the case of Carina, both are true, so who cares.  
>  _vod_ \- brothers in arms, siblings
> 
> There is a YT playlist of the songs from the entire story that will be linked with Chapter 11. I find the playlist enjoyable in general as the songs fit together... mostly. The song associated with Chapter 4 has a very different sound to it and honestly, I agonized over the choice for a long time and am still not completely satisfied with it, but I'll complain more about that when I post it.


	4. Partners in Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jedi had to show themselves eventually.

“I’m impressed you can use that Echani sword style so well. I had one try to teach me a few forms, but I just can’t push my body like that,” Carina says. They’re sitting on the temporary railing surrounding the Battle Circle. Five of Fox’s Imperials have joined the Mandalorians for once, even if they can’t hold their _tihaar_.

Fox rubs the back of his neck and quirks an eyebrow at her. “It’s fairly taxing; my use of it is situational, at best.”

“It’s still impressive. I’m not _surprised_ , mind; I like to think I’m rather well acquainted with how well you can use your body.” She elbows him and laughs when he just shakes his head at her. “Come on. Let’s have a spar. Give ‘em a show.”

Fox answers her grin and hops off of the railing. But before he can step forward, he freezes and a moment later puts a hand to his ear, listening to something in his comm. He sticks two fingers in his mouth and whistles.

Everyone turns to stare at the sound, but something’s wrong with it. Not that Carina has the attention to spare because when Fox starts talking, it’s in _mando’a_.

“ _The Jedi are approaching the camp. Both from D’narr, both from Mershurok: North-by-Northwest. D’narr, deafen your helmets to externals. Rely only on direct comms._ ” He looks around the at-attention warriors and points to the kid from Tiyaar. “ _You, Tiyaar, with me. The rest of you, continue like this._ Think _as loudly as you can to disrupt the Jedi_.” He spares just a moment to meet Carina’s eyes before sprinting off to the east.

Carina tries to call the Imperial captains, but the signal doesn’t go through. _These_ jetii _are cutting us off from the Imps. Are they afraid of Faximil? Or is it something else?_ She tosses the thought away and heads into the forest with both warriors from D’narr following and Ty’lk watching her six.

They find the Jedi barely a mile outside of the camp. A quick EMP from one of D’narr’s warriors knocks out the holodistorter obscuring the Jedi’s face. Carina bites back a series of curses, because _this child_ is undoubtedly the padawan, meaning Fox and Tiyaar are alone against the master with the unknown power.

The kid takes a deep breath and sets his stance before drawing his lightsaber. The green blade lights up the glade and casts shadows on the kid’s face. His robes swish as he waves his hand. “You’re all very tired. Yes, you think this is a wonderful place to lay down.”

Carina doesn’t feel the slightest inclination to follow the instruction, but she hears some armor clinking as someone does. _Probably Ty’lk… This is why Fox told them to deafen themselves._ She takes a moment to judge the padawan before drawing her pistol and shooting at the brat’s head.

He yelps and jumps to the side, dodging the shot, but visibly panicking.

Carina’s annoyance ratchets. _This is a waste of time. Fox is alone against the master and I’m just dealing with this whelp._ “D’narr, wake him up.”

She stalks toward the Jedi and fires a volley of shots, clipping him once in the leg. Not bad, considering he was a Force user. She activates her flamethrower and then jumps back as the padawan lunges forward with his saber.

The kid over-extends and staggers a few steps before eating dirt. He tries to push off of the ground, but D’narr grabs his arm and twists it behind the padawan’s back before ripping the saber hilt from his hand. Ty’lk shoots the hilt and the metal shrieks as it’s punctured. The padawan looks over at it and wilts, giving up all pretense of struggle.

“Please don’t kill me! I surrender! Anything, I’ll do anything!” the padawan shouts.

“We’re not going to kill you, brat,” Carina says. She kneels near his face and sticks the barrel of her pistol under his chin to make him look her in the eye. “Who’s your master and what’s his party trick?”

“It’s Master Nicabre. He can mind trick anyone. Even Sith!” He jerks off the ground with how emphatic he’s trying to be. “And it can spread. He plans to mind trick a few and then let you all kill each other.”

Carina growls and switches her blaster to the tranq setting before shooting the padawan in the neck. She straightens and takes a deep breath to try and calm herself, but it doesn’t go well. Not when her brain keeps showing her images of Tiyaar cutting Fox down. _The kid almost doesn’t need the Jedi to mess with his mind to get him to kill Fox_.

“We’ll take him back to the Imp holding cells, _alor’ad_. Are you going to back up the Imp and Tiyaar?”

She gives D’narr a sharp nod before gesturing for Ty’lk to follow her. The hair is standing up on the back of her neck. Despite her armor’s systems running full power, she feels drenched in cold sweat.

“Here’s hoping he goes for the Imp, right, Hound? At least Tiyaar’s got his _beskar_ to protect him. L.T. doesn’t even carry a blaster, does he?”

Carina shakes her head and tries to swallow past the dryness in her mouth. “His vibroblade can cut _beskar_ . Maybe he could disable it before the _jetii_ takes control. I don’t know how extensive the control is.” She’s proud of the fact that her voice doesn’t crack.

“The faster the better, then.”

The hydraulics in her armor whine and whistle as Carina sprints through the woods. The readout in her helmet counts down the yards between her and the Tiyaar-kid’s armor, but she can’t close the distance fast enough. She doesn’t slow until she breaks into the clearing with them.

The Jedi is two pieces of bloody mess, face down in the decaying leaves. Tiyaar and Fox both have their backs to her and both have their vibroblades set to the max. Energy sparks in the air around the blades. Both men are standing unnaturally still.

“Fox?” She takes a step forward when she says his name. “Tiyaar?”

Fox slowly turns in place. He’s looking vaguely at her, but his expression is blank and his eyes distant.

Carina flinches back and at the same moment, Tiyaar lunges forward, stabbing Fox straight through the chest. Time seems to slow down. Carina snaps into action, grabbing Tiyaar by the arm and yanking him away. Thankfully, Tiyaar releases his vibroblade without ripping it out and then slumps to the ground. She lets him fall and lunges for Fox, grabbing him by the shoulders just as his knees give out.

Fox reaches for the vibrosword, but he can’t grasp it. His hands open and close twice before he shudders and coughs up a mouthful of blood. His eyes flutter closed and he goes limp.

Carina is frozen, her brain has just stopped, locking her in place as she as holds Fox up. Slowly, her ears start working again because she can hear Ty’lk calling for their medic, calling for the Imps. She tries to stay optimistic, but Fox’s face is as white as newly-fallen snow. _Not like this,_ cyare _, don’t march where I can’t follow,_ she thinks.

At some point the Imp medics show up and pry Fox out of her hands so they can lay him down on a stretcher. Carina isn’t sure if anyone speaks to her. She’s not even sure who’s around her. All she knows is that she shouts herself hoarse, cursing Faximil. “Where was he? He had one job! The Jedi were his responsibility! How is he going to answer for this? Where is Faximil?”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, your mileage my vary with Mandalorians, but for the purposes of the story, the Mandalorian language is a somewhat guarded secret. It is easy to learn by design (this is consistent across incarnation), so they limit usage of it in front of people who shouldn't know and it's considered extremely rude and simply _not done_ to speak _mando'a_ if you are not Mandalorian.
> 
>  
> 
> **Hopefully Unnecessary Glossary**  
>  _cyare_ \- beloved, term of endearment
> 
> Chapter theme: [Partners in Crime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxRpUIsk8p0) \- Set it Off


	5. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carina sees proof that the people of Olkin II really do love the worthless bastard Faximil. And also proof that the Jedi are just as shit as she always thought.

Lord Faximil is standing facing the window with his back to Carina again and it’s all she can do not to leap out of her chair and break his face with her fist. The kid from Tiyaar, Atonai, is seated next to her with his helmet off. He glares first at Captain Mardh before setting his hateful gaze on the Sith.

The captain doesn’t seem to notice. He fires up a comm unit and eventually a holo Mandalorian with Tiyaar marks on his armor appears. The Imperial nods politely to the holo. “Thank you for waiting, Clan Leader. As you can see, I have Atonai here. We finished our investigation of Lieutenant Fox’s maiming. As I told you two days ago when we first spoke, Warrior Atonai has no memory of the event. 

“However, it turns out that he resisted Jedi Master Nicabre’s mind control long enough for assistance to arrive. Thanks to his mental resilience, Lieutenant Fox was able to receive medical attention in time to save his life.” Mardh consults a datapad. “We’ve sent a bonus, as well as compensation for the time it took to investigate.”

The holo nods to Atonai. “Good job. I’ll see you back at the camp soon. Always good to see you, Hound. Let your father know I’ll be touch.”

Carina has to pause and unclench her jaw before saying, “Will do.”

The holo Mandalorian salutes before disconnecting the call.

Mardh moves the comm to the side of the desk and nods to Tiyaar. “Thank you for your hard work. Have a safe trip home.”

Atonai narrows his eyes, but nods before shoving away from the desk and leaving faster than strictly polite.

Carina waits for the door to slam behind him before she stands. She addresses Lord Faximil directly. “Where  _ were _ you? Tiyaar never should have been in that position.” With a snarl, Carina slashes her arm between them. “Fox would lay down his life for you and this is how you repay his loyalty?”

Faximil turns his head, but not enough to even look at her. He still says nothing.

Mardh clears his throat. “The lieutenant is awake now, if you’d like to see him.”

Carina huffs, but does look back at the captain. “Yes,  _ fine _ , I’d like to see him.” Silently, she follows him out of the office and out of Imperial Command entirely.

Occasionally, civilians stop the captain in the street to personally express their thanks. One even hands both Mardh and Carina fancy paper packets of candy. The Imperial accepts their thanks gracefully and seems to know some of their names.

As she stashes the candy in her armor, Carina pushes back her respect and keeps her anger at not being told Fox’s condition at the front of her mind. Not that her fierce expression deters the thanks at all.

Far too much later, Mardh leads her into the hospital complex. The lawns are manicured to perfection with delicate topiaries and a swirling fountain. Carina prepares a snide comment about wasted funds before she remembers  _ why _ the colony on Olkin II exists. The hospital was no doubt decorated by weak Forcers experimenting with their abilities.

By the time they reach Fox’s rooms, she’s less angry and more exhausted by her anger and ready to see Fox. To touch him and reassure herself that he’s alive and significantly less hole-y than she left him. 

Of course, he’s not there.

Mardh saves her the tantrum she was preparing to throw by throwing it himself. Luckily, his target is an unimpressed older nurse with a crooked nose and a bored eyebrow raised. When Mardh pauses to breathe, the nurse rolls his eyes and directs them to a meeting room. They see one of the local police leading the Jedi padawan into the room as they approach.

The policeman salutes Captain Mardh when he exits and gestures to the next room over. “One-way glass and an audio feed.”

Carina nearly presses herself against the glass to get a better look at Fox, but his back is to her. She can see that he’s shirtless and his right shoulder is wrapped in bandages that no doubt cover half of his chest. 

Behind her, Mardh interrogates the policeman. “What is he doing  _ this _ time?”

“He believes, rather rightly, in my opinion, that Olkin II wasn’t their only target.”

Fox speaks then. “Feeling better? I can’t believe they put those cuffs on you. They’re like torture, aren’t they?”

The padawan rubs his wrists and looks up at Fox from under his fringe. “It’s not that bad. I mean, it’s not like  _ actual _ torture. You’d know how that feels.”

“How would  _ I _ know that?” Fox pitches his voice to sound scandalized and it sounds so fake Carina almost wants to laugh.

The padawan lowers his hands to his lap and squirms. “Well, er, you’re, you know… Imperial.”

“I’m a  _ scout _ . I run back and tell the police when a nerf gets loose and starts trampling the fields.”

“Er, a scout? But how did you…” He gestures to the bandages. “I mean, they told me Master was the one that hurt you.”

“Yeah,” Fox says. The word is loaded with so much scorn that the Jedi flinches. “He mind raped a Mandalorian who stabbed me.”

The Jedi flinches again. “We were just trying to save the colonists here from the Empire!”

“And what were you going to do after you ‘saved’ them? I heard that his power could spread on its own. How was he going to stop all of the Mandalorians from killing me and the rest of the city?”

The Jedi is visibly shaking and mumbles to himself for a moment before saying, “It- It made sense when Master explained it…”

Fox shakes his head and then winces in pain, reaching for his chest. “Well that was his power, wasn’t it? Making people think and do what he wants?”

The padawan breaks with a loud cry. It’s pitiful and quickly dissolves into sobs with him collapsed against the table.

Fox gingerly pushes back and stands. Slowly, he steps towards the door. 

Carina sprints out of the viewing room and takes Fox’s left arm to help support him the moment he’s through the door. “You shouldn’t be pushing yourself like this.”

Fox looks at her and smiles, though he’s clearly in pain. “Hey, you.” He spares a glance at Mardh and the policeman. “He’ll spill his guts. Once he does, throw him in with the rest of the prisoners, leave the cuffs off, but have his guards discuss using them in earshot.”

“Of cou-rse…” The policeman tries to say. He gives Mardh a perplexed glance when the captain elbows him, but shrugs it off with a shake of his head. “It will be done.”

“Hound, if you could ensure he makes it back to his medical bed, I would appreciate it,” Mardh says.

“Surely someone else could have done that,” Carina lectures as she leads Fox back.

“It took fifteen minutes, at most.”

Carina half-lifts him back into his bed and fusses with his blanket and pillows. “And how long did it set back your recovery?”

“This is the best medical facility in the galaxy. I’ll be fine.” He takes one of her hands and holds it firmly. “How’s the Tiyaar kid? You didn’t beat him up, did you?”

Carina shakes her head. “Mardh had him in a holding facility while he investigated the ‘incident.’ I don’t want to talk about Tiyaar. I want to talk about Faximil.”

Fox pales. “What?”

“Where  _ was _ he? That  _ jetii _ took control of Tiyaar and nearly killed  _ you _ ! I know he saved the people here, but  _ you _ -”

“Carina-”

“And you speak  _ mando’a _ , surely-”

“ _ Carina _ , enough.” Fox squeezes her hand. “Lord Faximil  _ did _ intervene. Nicabre’s power would have spread through all of the forces, Mandalorian and Imperial both, if Faximil hadn’t stopped it. I know mental powers just look like standing around staring at someone, but I’m sure he didn’t have the opportunity to also prevent my stabbing.”

“I just care about you, Fox. We work well together and… everything else.” She doesn’t want to put the rest of her feelings into words. Carina knows they’ve long since passed from casual fling into romance. She can’t pretend otherwise when she’s spent the last week dreaming of him singing softly to her in  _ mando’a _ . “Can you blame me for worrying?”

“I don’t blame you.” He pulls her hand to his face and rubs the back against his cheek. “And I care about you, too. I’ll recover and see you soon.”

\---

Captain Mardh stops Carina in the hallway when she finally leaves Fox to rest and recover. His face holds the stiff, professional expression he wears in the Sith’s office. He nods to her. “If I might make a… personal comment.”

Carina feels her hackles raise and can’t pretend this man purposefully told her  _ nothing _ about Fox’s condition and kept Tiyaar in some kind of holding cell when he  _ had _ to have heard from his Sith that the kid did nothing wrong. “If you must.”

The Imperial reads some of her feelings in her face because he sighs and drops the stiff formality. “Hound, I’m not going to criticize you or your liaison. I just want to say, Fox, he… He shines very brightly. I don’t want to see you burnt.”

She lets her confusion push her into her own stiff professionalism. “If that’s all, I’d best be going home.”

“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's theme song: [Fire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmHOY5f6z1E) by Green or Blue. All of the themes are from different artists, or else I would have gone with Green or Blue two more times. They're not my favorite artist, but their style fits with the story I wanted to tell.


	6. Sleepless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carina wants to suggest a compromise, since Fox won't leave the Empire.

Fox eventually recovers and Lord Faximil hires Clan Meshurok directly. The Sith’s personal forces alone can’t accomplish his goals, which remain… unusual for a Sith. There is no assassination of his rivals, or for that matter, much direct action against the Republic. The clan is kept busy accompanying his archaeologists to dig up old Sith relics, protecting the scouts he has exploring and mapping uninhabited worlds and even a few direct strikes on Hutt slaving rings, releasing the victims before they could be sold. 

If Faximil is unusual for what he is, the same holds true for Fox. No other Imperial liaison has commanded the sort of respect he does--because none had bothered to respect the clans in turn. He fights at their side, rather than issuing orders from the command tent. At night, when the work is done, he sits and talks with them,  _ listens _ to them. 

The easy rapport between Fox and her clan brothers is yet another thing Carina hadn’t anticipated when she’d first pulled the Imperial aside to blow off steam. Another thing that burns in the back of her mind and makes it harder to resist asking him to join. Another thing that makes anxiety curl in her chest when a job ends and they aren’t immediately offered a new one. 

She catches herself daydreaming in idle moments--the long waiting during a stakeout, or the transport to a drop zone. Maybe it  _ isn’t _ so impossible. Maybe something could be worked out, despite his duties to a Sith and hers to her clan. It would be a little unusual, but perhaps he could be accepted as the father of her children. There’s no questioning his skills as a warrior, only…

Only his connection to and loyalty towards a Sith. That always breaks her out of her reverie. Faximil works with the clans  _ for now _ , but it isn’t something she can count on. Fox will eventually be moved to some other project. Already, Faximil takes him on secret missions and leaves Captain Mardh behind to liaise directly. And Fox never complains. He’ll disappear for weeks and then slip back in with Clan Meshurok as if nothing happened. It would be better to end things before he’s permanently assigned elsewhere, but she can’t bring herself to do it.

In between missions, when Fox and the Imperial soldiers are temporarily in the clan campground to consult with the weapontechs, the camp comes under savage attack by the local Trandoshans. Carina rushes to the holomap at the center of the camp, quickly and effectively coordinating the defenses. She notices Fox come up beside her, commanding the Imperial soldiers to support, but she doesn’t look away or cease barking orders until the attackers retreat. 

Only then does she turn to Fox, which makes her double take. A small mirialan child, one of the clan’s toddlers, sleeps peacefully with his head on Fox’s shoulder. He’d carried the boy over and somehow kept it comfortable throughout all of the chaos. “...Why are you holding Ty’lk’s baby?”

Fox blinks at her, looks at the toddler and then looks back. “He was crying when the alarms went off.”

“And you just…” She trails off and her heart clenches in her chest. “Right, well, why don’t you put him to bed while I write a guard rota in response to this. You’re still staying the night, aren’t you?”

Fox rubs the boy’s back and nods. “I have to send a report out, as well, but it’ll be quick.”

Carina watches him go and savours the ache in her chest. Children had always been some nebulous plan for the future, but  _ now _ , having seen her lover softly comforting a baby in a crisis… She thrusts the thought aside and puts her full attention on the rota.

\---

That night, sleep eludes Carina. She stares up at the ceiling and strokes Fox’s head. She stops when he shifts and tightens his arm around her.

“Something wrong? They won’t come back tonight.” His voice is rough with sleep.

“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep,  _ cyare _ .” The endearment doesn’t even bring the guilt anymore.

“I’m already awake. You’re thinking very loudly, you may as well tell me.” He lifts his head off of her shoulder and scoots up until their faces are nearly touching.

“This isn’t a roundabout way to ask you to join the clan, but have you considered having children of your own?”

Fox holds her face and brushes his thumb across her cheek. “Oh  _ love _ . It- I-” He sighs and takes a deep breath. “I’m dying. It’s part of the reason I can’t leave the Empire.”

“No.”

“I need to stay, but even with… I have eight months. Ten, if I’m lucky.”

“ _ No _ .” Carina fists her hands in his shirt and squeezes her eyes tightly shut. “Fox, there has to be  _ some _ way-”

“There was,” Fox says. His voice is quiet and resigned. He brushes a tear off of her cheek. “I should have died five years ago. Every day is a gift. I never dreamed I’d meet you. Let alone that we would have this together. I’m sorry.”

Carina presses her face into his chest and cries. She’d thought the worst possible outcome was Fox leaving her, or admitting to already having a secret wife and child. Even her nightmares had never been so cruel. She wants to scream and cry and demand to know why he hadn’t told her immediately she would lose him, but none of that would change the reality.

Fox says nothing else. He just holds her as the truth he’d known for years set in for her.

\---

“I considered it, when I was much younger,” Fox says out of the blue several days later. They’re alone out on an overlook, ostensibly standing watch over an archeological team.

“It would have suited you, at least, the you around  _ us _ .”

He smiles at her, but it’s tainted by his sad resignation. “A little boy named Sebastian.”

“And the reason?”

“It was the name of my best friend’s little brother. They were born slaves. Sebastian didn’t make it out.” Fox sighs. “But that was a long time ago and even then I already knew I would die young.”

“It’s no wonder you get along so well with Mandalorians.”

“I’ve always thought so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sleepless](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTvJWjAyrtA) \- The Strive
> 
> Just a reminder that this happened in the past compared to the other stories and not only that, but not everyone in the galaxy knows the state of everyone else in the galaxy.


	7. Silence (Pretending's So Comfortable)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carina trusts Fox, but it's long past time that Faximil proves himself.

Carina wakes up when she hears her father’s voice. She yawns and sarcastically thanks her years of conditioning. She curls up in the duvet and listens in, curious as to why he’d wake her up in the middle of the night during a dangerous op.

“No, don’t wake her up. I wanted to talk to you, anyway,” Goran Meshurok says. He sounds tired, but the weariness matches his grizzled, old Mandalorian appearance.

“As you like,” Fox says. His footsteps are just barely audible and Carina pictures him standing at the window, looking out onto the countryside, even if he only has the light of the moon by which to see.

“I know I’ve made it clear to Carina, but no one cares you’re an Imp. If you want to get married? Have kids? Just do it. We’d take care of her no matter who  _ you _ are, but you’re a good man. Honorable. You’re  _ aliit _ , even if you wear the wrong uniform.”

“Ah, I see she didn’t tell you.” Fox sighs audibly and there’s a quiet tap-tap as he touches the window. 

After a minute of silence, Goran asks, “You want to explain that?”

“No, but it’s better than making her say it. I’ll be dead in… eight months, Force willing.”

Goran’s voice is harsh. “You don’t look sick.”

“Well, curses of the blood don’t usually show on your face.”

“Can’t your Sith keep you alive?”

Fox laughs, then. Loud and completely devoid of humor. “The price is too high. Surely you know how Sith power their rituals?”

Goran’s armor creaks loudly in the silence. Finally, he says, “You can’t blame me for wanting to see her happy.”

“If I had the chance to do things over, is it selfish of me to still take her hand? Knowing what will come?”

Carina swallows down the sob that wants to rip from her throat. It’s not as if she could forget how little time she has left with Fox, but she does a good job of not thinking about it.

“No. She’s  _ mando’ad _ . This is just a part of our life. You’re a strong man, to go out fighting like this.”

“Is it really strength when I have no other choice?”

“Everyone has a choice, Fox.”

\---

“You’re really unsettled,  _ cyare _ . Is it because of  _ buir _ ?” Carina asks.

Fox has fussed over every single helmet in the armory, checking the seals and filters and ordering repairs for the most superficial of scratches. He walks on his toes, like he expects someone to sneak up on him at any moment. He has Carina’s helmet in his lap and he’s reapplied the sealant  _ four times _ . “No, and I’m glad he knows the truth rather than thinking we’re just kriffing around. It’s Lethalitus.”

“I read the dossier, but I didn’t see anything particularly… unusual for a Sith. And if he wants to slaughter all of the Pubs, well, it saves us the casualties.” Carina sits down next to Fox, but doesn’t try to take her helmet back or stop him. Instead, she pulls out of her vibroblade and starts on her maintenance routine.

“The more painfully someone dies, the more power the Sith extracts from that death. Lethalitus capitalizes on this by sacrificing his own people. The betrayal adds another layer.” He sighs and sets the helmet on the worktable to allow the sealant to set. “The dossier doesn’t focus on it because he destroys everything he touches, but I don’t want him to hurt any of ours.”

“You can only do so much, Fox. If someone gets poisoned, it’s not your fault. It’s  _ Faximil’s _ job to handle the Forcers. You just relay orders.”

Fox rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I just have a bad feeling about this.”

\---

Carina fights on the front line, a gold band of paint around each arm to signify her position as field commander. Fox is at her right, a silver band on his arms and his vibrosword singing through the air as he strikes. Goran had argued that the officers should hang back, but the scouts reported that the Jedi, some Master named Ratton, would be personally reinforcing the troops and the front line needed people that could resist his Force.

The sun is low in the sky, though not quite setting. Red-orange light reflects off the weapons and armor, giving everything a warm hue that did nothing for chill Carina felt down her spine.  _ Fox’s anxiety is contagious _ .

She’s just pulling her blade out of a ruined wardroid when the ice on her neck freezes her entire body. Fighting to draw a breath into her lungs, she looks around and sees that Fox is the only one moving normally - on both sides of the line. A dark green mist creeps along the ground from behind her and with effort, she turns to see Darth Lethalitus making his sedate way to the frontline.

“This is hardly the place for your theatrics, Lethalitus,” one of the Republic soldiers says. A moment later his image distorts and Jedi Master Ratton is revealed. He lights his saber and waves his arm dramatically and the soldiers on both sides seem to come back to life.

Carina shakes off the last traces of the Sith’s influence and looks for Fox, but he’s gone. She can hear him giving orders in comms, though, so she doesn’t worry. Instead, she helps him organize the men and get them away from the Forcers.

“My powersss are no mere theatricsss, Rat,” the Darth all but hisses back at the Jedi.

“Of course not. Because I’m ignorant enough not to wonder where Sa’alle’s gotten to.” The Jedi barks out a laugh. “Did you really think our intelligence was so bad that we wouldn’t know what name Lord Faximil is hiding?”

Lethalitus hisses in rage and sends his poison mist into the Republic troops. He activates his lightsaber and slashes the air in front of him. “Sssa’alle is a weakling! A drop in a bucket in the middle of a howling gale!”

“I’m no fool! I know these Mandalorians are his pets. Stand down and let your betters sort this out.”

“ _ What is he  _ doing _? _ ” Carina asks in  _ mando’a _ through comms. “ _ That Sith is about to start foaming at the mouth _ .”

“ _ That’s his plan _ ,” Fox snaps back. “ _ He knows our troops are superior, so he’s trying to goad Lethalitus into killing us instead _ .”

Comms explode in curses in a rainbow of languages, but when Carina opens her mouth to call for silence no sound comes out. She’s frozen again, caught in the Sith’s power. The next thing she knows, she’s flying through the air until she hits the Darth’s empty hand neck-first. She wants to cough, wants to breathe at all, but she’s completely paralyzed.

“Sssa’alle is not the master here!”

Carina sees her life start to flash before her eyes as the Darth swings the red blade to cut her in half.  _ And of course, I’m the first to go. _

But the blow never falls. Carina regains control of her body with a gasp as she’s dropped to the ground. Trembling with adrenaline, she looks up to a blood-red saber blade sticking through Lethalitus’ chest.

Lord Faximil jerks his blade out before kicking the body to the ground. Except it’s  _ not _ Lord Faximil. It’s Fox in his armor and stupid thrice re-sealed helmet with a lightsaber in his hand.

Carina’s comms are chattering about Faximil disguising himself as Fox just for this kind of gambit, but she can’t believe it. She fought with Fox all day and it was definitely  _ him _ and  _ his _ movements and  _ his _ surprise Echani forms.  _ He was only gone for a minute. He didn’t have time to give Faximil his armor. It’s not a second set… I painted that hound on there this morning _ …

Fox swings his saber in a smooth arc before slashing the blade down and in response the poison mist disappears in a flash of purple fire around the Republic troopers. He rips off his helmet and even if his auburn hair is now the color of fresh blood and the sharp lines of Sa’alle’s marks accent his eyes and forehead, it’s still  _ Fox _ .

The weight of the truth crashes into Carina at full speed and if she weren’t already on her knees in the mud, her legs would have given out.

“Having your enemies kill each other is not peace, Jedi,” Fox says. His accent is sharper, but it’s the power in him, the  _ Force _ in his voice that makes every warrior on the battlefield tremble.

“The only murderer here is  _ you _ , Sa’alle,” the Jedi says before leaping forward. He and Fox meet in the cleared out section of the battleground, sabers clashing with loud plasma hisses.

The last part of Carina’s heart breaks when she sees Fox switch into the mixed style that  _ still _ looks so Mandalorian, even when he’s using a lightsaber. She grits her teeth and stands, letting a single tear fall before she starts giving sharp orders.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Silence (Pretending's So Comfortable)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9OAwEU2ss) AS IT IS.
> 
> Oops? I feel like there were sufficient clues, but I know at least one person was surprised.


	8. Wildfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carina confronts _Lord Faximil_ about his deception.

Lord Faximil’s office on Pokk IV is identical to the one on Olkin II. Carina stands just inside the room with the heavy door shut behind her. She doesn’t know how long she’s been standing there, staring. At the beautiful desk, at the delicate chairs, at the floor-to-ceiling windows, at _him_.

Fox is standing the same way he did _that day_ , too. He’s in his Sith robes with his hands clasped loosely behind his back as he looks out of the window. The only difference is that his hood is down and he’s not wearing a mask. His hair is back to its proper color and his reflection in the glass shows no Sa’alle marks.

“People applauded my _performance_ of treating you like Fox. My brothers aren’t that stupid. How did you get them to believe it? Some mind trick?” Carina’s voice asks of its own accord. Her tone is even bored and conversational and she shakes her head at her own cowardice for not addressing the _real_ issue.

“Social engineering. Ivan and Eklund shared the _confidential_ information that Lord Faximil occasionally wears Lieutenant Fox’s armor to take the enemy unawares. They would tell their friends the secret; it’s too fantastic not to share. But they would never mention it to their commander, who would chide them for breaking confidentiality and doubtless already knew. Ivan believed you would immediately see through the ruse, so you were never told.” Fox’s voice is cold and emotionless. He sounds like all of the times Carina overhead him giving a report.

Her anger spurs Carina a step forward into the room. When she opens her mouth again, the calm facade is gone and she’s nearly shouting. “You _lied_ to me. You lied to _me_.”

Fox turns his head towards her, but not nearly enough to make eye contact. “Yes.”

“Yes? _Yes?_ ” Carina’s voice breaks on the word. “That’s all you have to say to me? Yes?”

“What would you have me say?” Fox’s tone is still infuriatingly even. “That knowing the consequences, I would choose differently? I wouldn’t. My excuses won’t take away the hurt. _Yes_ , I lied to you.”

Carina crosses the room and spins Fox around by his arm. She stares into his eyes. “I don’t want your _excuses_ , I want your _reasons_.”

“Nothing I say will salve your wounds.”

“That’s not how this works, Fox. I _love_ you and I’m not going to throw that away just because I don’t understand a decision that you made. Yes, I’m furious and it hurts, but this is nothing compared to how I felt when you told me you were dying.”

Fox’s emotionless mask falls then and he shakes his head, frowning in clear confusion. “You don’t think I was lying about that, too?”

Carina grabs his arms and barely resists the urge to shake him. “You’re _mando’ad_ in your heart. Whether or not you’re dying? That matters. Who you were before you joined the clan? That doesn’t matter. Everything is wiped clean. _Cin’vhetin_.”

Fox’s eyes are wide and he’s frozen like a nerf in the speederlights.

“ _Why_ , Fox?”

“Boys aren’t born naturally in the Sa’alle line. We’re created for a purpose. To be sacrificed to give our sister power. It’s why I don’t have the marks. I can’t inherit. But my older sister _died_ before she could do the ritual. Yes, there was Sybil, but she was too young and surely if I became strong enough, powerful enough, then I’d be more useful alive.” He grabs her arms in return and his expression is desperate.

“But it’s not enough. No amount of power will ever be enough for her. Five years ago, I… I twisted the blood curses, made it so she couldn’t hurt _anyone_ of the blood that was older than her, not just Mother, but I knew she’d figure it out, eventually. I was on Olkin II to even _know_ about the invasion because I’d heard she’d finally discovered what I did and I had to make sure they’d be safe after I died.” He takes a deep breath that makes his entire body shudder.

“Carina, I go to bed every night with no confidence I’ll wake up in the morning. All I wanted was a few days of living how my life should have been.”

She closes her eyes and squeezes the tears out before meeting Fox’s eyes again. “Why not tell me? When you knew I loved you, why didn’t you tell me, then?”

“I couldn’t risk being the one to make you walk away. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you when I wouldn’t live to have the chance to make things right.”

Carina shakes her head and squeezes his arms. “I won’t walk away, Fox. I _can’t_ .” She sniffs and blinks back more tears. “ _Mhi solus tome_.”

“Carina-”

“ _Mhi solus dar’tome_ ,” she continues, despite his pleading.

“ _Don’t_ . Please, don’t. I’m _dying_ . This is already borrowed time. I can’t promise to raise warriors with you when I won’t even live to see one _born_.” Fox chokes out a sob and shakes his head in denial.

“If you think any child I have, now or in fifty years, blood of my blood or not, is going to be raised with anything but your memory at my right hand, you’re _stupid_.”

“I _lied_ to you! You’re supposed to be angry. You’re not supposed to-”

“I can’t make you say the vows, but you can’t make me stop, Fox.”

He crumples and presses his forehead to hers, lets his tears streak down her face, as well. “Oh, belovéd. _Mhi solus tome…_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Wildfire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYJexzJrZRY) \- The Gospel Youth
> 
> This is the song that suits the entire story best. The entire album is great. I highly recommend that you purchase it if you enjoy this song.
> 
> I went back and checked my notes on Honor and Duty and, apparently, I didn't put the literal translation of the full Mandalorian marriage vows. The important part is that they swear to raise warriors together, in case that was not apparent in the context of this story.
> 
> Part 6: Passion, Yet Serenity is almost finished and will most likely be posted directly after this. It is back in the "current" timeline and wraps up a lot of loose ends.


	9. Gin and Black Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fox takes Carina to Dromund Kaas. It's definitely not for a honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I received two gorgeous pieces of art of Fox. [Here's the first one](https://elalavella.tumblr.com/post/171061889769/spread-my-legacy-like-wildfire-through-a-forest) and [here's the second one.](https://elalavella.tumblr.com/post/171422574459/back-to-ones-from-the-top-ready-or-not-here)
> 
> These prompted writing out Fox's backstory, which then required some retconning. A few words have been changed in other chapters, but _this_ is the only major difference. This chapter refers to events that take place in [Morning Comes](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13803210) and will spoil that work.
> 
> Further, the second of those art pieces I just received and it has prompted a more complete backstory that is currently being written.

“Carina… I need you to come with me,” is all Fox says before pulling her onto his ship and setting off for Dromund Kaas.

But there’s no mistaking this trip for a honeymoon. Carina sees so much pain and grief in Fox’s expression that she doesn’t bother asking for details. She even sits silently when Fox changes into full Sith regalia, leaving off only the mask.

For the entire flight, Fox stares at his gloved right hand and worries at the black, cursed spot on the back of his neck. Carina’s never asked where it came from. At first, she’d assumed it was connected to how he was dying, but now she’s not so sure. It had sounded like everything was in Fox’s blood, determined before even his birth. It didn’t need a cursed scar, did it?

Fox dons his mask as they leave the ship. He breaks the silence with only, “I’m sorry,” before leading her to the speeder bay.

Eventually, they arrive at what can only be one of the Sa’alle properties. The gates wear the sharp insignia Fox doesn’t and the grounds look immaculately tended. The courtyard is unnaturally still and Carina thinks she sees the tell-tale shimmer of Force wards everywhere she looks. _But why? Surely Sybil isn’t here and Fox lives with me or on Olkin II or on his ship. Why waste this much power on an empty house?_

Just inside, Fox removes his mask and it hangs, invisibly suspended in the air. He leaves it hovering in the foyer and leads Carina down a narrow staircase heading to the underground levels. The climate control whirs to life in her armor, but does nothing for the chill down her spine and in her heart.

The stairs lead to a stone-walled hallway which leads to… nowhere. At least, not anymore. Where there should have been a door is solid stone unnaturally cut through with durasteel. Durasteel bands and bolts that should have reinforced a door are instead twisted into the shape of an ornate, if broken, crown. The picture would take her breath away if it wasn’t already frozen in her chest.

“Look at me, Carina,” Fox says. Though the words are whispered, they seem unbearably loud in this awful place.

Slowly, Carina turns away from the scene and meets Fox’s gaze.

He says, “You should leave this place. Go back to Meshurok and tell them my death caught up with me sooner than we expected.” Fox’s image flickers before her eyes. For just a moment he has long hair, braided down his back and bright yellow eyes that glow in the dim light. “Leave now and pretend this was the end.”

“What? Are you out of your- Fox, what’s going on?”

“Please. I can’t bear the thought of you being glad I’m to die soon, but I can’t hide this anymore. Not when you call me _riduur._ Please, _please,_ go.” Fox’s voice and posture drip desperation. Again, his image flickers to a version with longer hair and fewer creases on his skin. It lingers the second time, his yellow eyes piercing without compassion.

Carina shakes her head. She gestures at the where the door should have been. “This, whatever _this_ is, it’s worse than lying to me about who you are? Than manipulating me and coming to my bed under false pretenses for months? _This_ is supposed to make me throw everything away and go to bed cursing your name long after you’re dead?”

“Yes,” Fox says and the sincerity, the _conviction_ is enough to make Carina hesitate.

Fox had underestimated her love for him before, but whatever erased the door here is enough to make Fox hate himself. Carina can hardly believe she never realized before that the sadness bleeding out of his heart wasn’t about his upcoming death, it was about… This. _Not only this. He grieves for my loss, for my heart before it’s even broken._

Carina takes a breath to steel herself and then says, “Tell me, Fox. You owe me this much.”

Fox nods and then a ripple seems to travel over his skin. His worry lines are deeper and the shadows change around his eyes in a way that makes them look haunted. But those could have always been there, simply illuminated now. No, what the dropped illusion reveals is tattoos on his cheek in a pattern unmistakable to a seasoned warrior. Blood spatter. He removes his gloves and shows her his right hand, painted over in ink: more blood.

“I loved only once before you, Carina. And then I disavowed him, cursed his name, rejected everything he ever gave me… And then left him to die alone in the dark. Just for _power._ His despair, his anger, his heart broken by betrayal… I took it all and I used it. And for what? A few more years of hiding from my sister?”

“Five years. That’s what you did. That’s how you stopped her from killing you, then.” Carina feels almost possessed by the spirit of his dead lover, with the way she feels as if she knows everything. The feelings nearly crush her. “He loved you. He would have given you anything you asked.”

“When she struck him down, he begged me to use his Life Force for myself.”

“But instead you… _Why_ Fox? Why destroy-” Carina gasps, unable to finish the question because she _knows._ She can’t count the number of times she considered meeting with ‘Faximil’ and offering him up slavers to sacrifice, if only it would keep Fox alive a little longer. She takes Fox’s right hand, forever marked with his lover’s blood and pulls it to her chest. “It wouldn’t have worked if you didn’t. He would have died for nothing.”

“It doesn’t _matter,_ Carina. You don’t understand. My betrayal was so complete, his agony was so- I can still feel it. I can’t even beg forgiveness because I don’t regret living.”

Carina drops his hand and with both of her own pulls his face forward until it’s tucked into her shoulder. She puts one arm around him and runs her hand over his hair, his significantly short hair.

“Love isn’t a ledger you borrow against. Life would be so much easier if you could just break it and be free of all its parts. He wanted you to live and live you did. He’ll forgive the pain of his last moments if you made your life worth living. Don’t throw away the gift he gave you just because for a time he didn’t want to give it.”

“Carina-”

“I won’t give my life for yours. I have too many people that need me. You won’t have to suffer like this again.”

“ _I- I_ won’t have to suffer?”

“His pain ended when he died. You’ve carried it and your own ever since.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Gin and Black Coffee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RxHuIiaVaw) \- The Gospel Youth. Yes, I know it's a repeated artist, but I don't care. Let it punch you in the throat.
> 
> The only change to other chapters is that Fox no longer uses the endearment _cyare_ for Carina.


	10. Goodnight Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not gone, merely marching far away.

“ _Riduur_?”

“Hmm?” Fox doesn’t look up from his cuirass. He has a tiny plasma torch in his hand and he’s carefully etching the hound Carina painted on it during the last mission.

“What’s your real name, then? Obviously it’s not _Facsimile_.” Carina is sitting across from him, sketching out a few prospective designs for a fox to put on her own armor.

“Fox is as real as any other. Sa’alles are supposed to earn their names. Faximil is obviously what I received for becoming a Lord. But before then, people had to call me something. The overseers just called me Sa’alle, of course, but Octavian is the one who started with Fox.” He pauses and looks up at her. “I can’t remember why, actually.”

“Your hair, maybe?”

Fox snorts. “His hair’s much redder than mine, but that may have been the joke. If you have trouble with Sith… after… he can help you. He owes me plenty.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. I’m much more concerned with everything before the after.” She adds a few final lines before showing him. “What do you think?”

“Better than the last one. Could you make him a little fluffier?”

“This is for my armor, not a children’s holo.”

“What’s childish about fluffier?”

Carina affects a longsuffering expression and lets out a dramatic sigh. “You and I both know you just want it to look cuter.”

Fox laughs and doesn’t bother pretending she’s wrong. “If anyone tries to make fun of you, you’ll just stab them. I don’t see the problem.”

\---

“Are you going to Sith him?” Carina asks. They’re walking shoulder to shoulder across the Nar Shaddaa promenade, enroute to a private suite in the Violet Room. They’re both in full armor and talking through comms, so she’s not worried about anyone eavesdropping.

Fox stops and his tone is incredulous. “Why would I do that? Killing him wouldn’t accomplish anything. It would make everything worse.”

“No, not kill him, but, you know, use the Force to make him trustworthy.” She makes a vague hand gesture to signify Force use.

“No, belovéd, I’m not going _Sith_ him. It doesn’t last forever and even if it _did_ , some good samaritan on Olkin II would remove it and then everything would go terribly wrong.”

They’re silent for the rest of the walk. When they arrive at the Violet Room, they’re informed that their guest is already waiting and they’re escorted in. Carina eyes the pilot lounging on a lurid purple chaise.

The pilot has dark red hair that’s only barely less notable than the eyepatch and the scars creeping out from under it. He looks relaxed and unconcerned that they haven’t said anything. He takes a sip of a smoking, purple drink.

Fox removes his helmet and then shakes his head. He has one eyebrow raised and a confused expression on his face. “The kriff did you do to your eye?”

The pilot’s jaw hangs open for a moment, apparently as stunned speechless as Carina is. Finally, he closes it and then straightens his posture. “Wow, I mean, I know you’re an Imp, but that was _rude_.”

Fox visibly startles. “What are you on about? And I can’t believe Na’li’a lets you go out in public with that accent.”

The pilot’s eyes narrow. “Are you mistaking me for someone else?”

Fox rolls his eyes. “She’s my _wife_ , Oct; you can drop the game”

The pilot leaps to his feet and grabs Fox’s arm. “You know _Octavian_ ? He’s _alive_?”

“ _Sebastian_ ? _You’re_ alive?” Fox shakes the pilot’s hands off. “Well, you must be; you’re here, but Oct was sure you were dead.”

Sebastian rubs the back of his neck and tilts his head. “Not a bad assumption, all told. So he’s… Imperial now?”

“Look, the last thing I’m going to do is hand you over to the Inquisitors. Why don’t we sit down? This is going to be a long conversation.”

\---

After contracting Klaver’s Kouriers, and Sebastian in particular, to look after Olkin II, Fox spends almost all of his time with Clan Meshurok. He goes with them on hunts, participates in their Battle Circles and even takes a few turns of babysitting and training the children. (The last breaks Carina’s heart, but she locks the memories in it for later.) The _aliit_ know Fox is dying, so no one asks why he hasn’t joined. He’s part of the family, and that’s the end of it.

Carina considers asking Fox to get her pregnant, anyway. Even if he won’t be there, _she_ can still have and raise their child… But even if they pretended their child wouldn’t be at risk for having Sa’alle blood, Carina can’t bring herself to ask Fox for a child he can never know.

Weeks pass and they live in the Mandalorian version of domestic bliss. Despite that, they spend most nights laying awake, curled up together and speaking softly about their pasts. None of Fox’s history is nice. He learned _mando’a_ and Echani forms from Sa’alle slaves that saw him as a fellow prisoner - simply one with chains in his blood.

The countdown to Fox’s death is tattooed on the inside of their eyelids, inescapable and haunting. When the day finally arrives, it’s almost a relief.

Carina wakes and one look at Fox’s expression tells her everything she needs to know. They don’t cry; there aren’t any tears left. Together, they polish Fox’s armor and set it up on its permanent stand, the etched hound howling for them.

Fox visits the clan’s children one last time, though alone. Carina is afraid seeing him with them again will be what breaks her and she needs to stay strong for him. Her resolve weakens as he takes longer than expected and when he finally returns, his expression is harried.

“What happened?”

“Kivia, the miri girl, she might be Sensitive. She started sobbing as soon as I got close and started begging me not to leave, which got them all started.”

“We’ll take care of her. _I’ll_ take care of her. And I’ll stab anyone who so much as _thinks_ that she can’t be _mando’ad_.”

Fox smiles and kisses her softly. “I know you will, _riduur_.”

“My heart will never forget you, Fox.”

“Nor mine, you.”

And then Fox leaves for the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Goodnight Moon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3iLBxVEQ2g) \- Go Radio.
> 
> I found this song to fit the overall 'playlist' better, but my first choice was [Dearly Departed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjZm23lrego) \- Marianas Trench
> 
> The literal translation of the Mandalorian words for "love" is, roughly, "I know you in my heart eternally."
> 
> Like I said, Part 6, Passion, Yet Serenity, is coming directly after.


	11. Battle Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on, even if you have to walk alone.

Carina sits on the railing and watches the Battle Circle carefully. It’s rare for so many clans to get together and she’s not going to miss the opportunity to meet other melee specialists. D’narr is in the ring with someone Carina doesn’t recognize, but some of the designs on his armor suggest that he’s his clan’s  _ alor _ , so it’s in her best interest to introduce herself, regardless. She signals to the stranger when he wins the match and starts to leave.

He takes a seat next to her and removes his helmet. “I’m Taldin, Cerar’s  _ alor _ .” Taldin’s a swarthy human with black hair and worry lines despite otherwise looking only about her own age.

“Carina,  _ ver’alor _ of Meshurok.”

Taldin groans and puts his face in his hands. “Look, Carina, please don’t take this as a slight, but no matter what you’ve heard, I’m not actually looking for a wife. So please, just…  _ don’t _ .”

A moment of silence passes before Carina laughs uproariously at him. She actually has to wipe a tear out of her eye. “Your  _ buir  _ trying to marry you off?”

“Er, yeah. Sorry for assuming, I guess. I’ve been propositioned with varying levels of subtlety at least six times since I got here. Do you think they’ll stop if I start carrying my  _ ad’ika _ around?”

“If your  _ buir _ has already told everyone you’re looking, that’ll probably make it worse.” She snickers at him again and absentmindedly runs her fingers over the fox etched on her cuirass. “Can’t say I envy you.”

Taldin scrubs a hand over his hair, but it does nothing to hide his embarrassment. “Right, er, so what did you want, then?”

Carina gestures to the vibrosword on her back. “Not a lot of melee specialists. And it’s past time I met the other  _ alore _ .”

“Sorry, again. That was really presumptive. I’ve been a mess since everything with my kid’s mother.”

She traces the etching again. “Want to talk about it? I’ve got some  _ tihaar _ and somewhere you can hide.”

Taldin nods and hops off of the railing. “So I won’t pretend I didn’t make any bad choices, but she  _ was _ a Zeltron.” He gestures grandly as he talks and doesn’t even seem to notice anyone around them. He pauses to drink when Carina hands him a tumbler of  _ tihaar _ , but otherwise doesn’t break stride. “...And then she just showed up, months later, with no word, drops the baby in my hands and leaves. Just like that!”

Carina shakes her head and sips from her own cup. “That’s awful. I can barely believe it, but at least she gave you the child.”

“Yeah, Galaar means everything to me.” He finishes the glass and refills it. “Thanks for listening, Meshurok. People always  _ ask _ , but as soon as I get started, they just start chiding me for kriffing the bitch in the first place.”

“Hypocrites.” Carina rolls her eyes. “Half the  _ verde _ have had a kriff with an outsider to take the edge off.”

“Right. Not that I  _ prefer  _ that. But sometimes--especially when your  _ buir  _ is beating the marriage drum--you just want something without deep emotional connections and permanent implications.” He smiles and gives her a significant look. “Am I right?” 

Carina stares at him for a moment, finishes her glass, refills it and then drinks the contents in a single go. Then she clears her throat and says, “I’m going to politely forget you just said that to me.”

Taldin’s eyes widen in alarm. “Oh, kriff--I wasn’t--I didn’t want to  _ suggest  _ anything. Okay, I did, but I didn’t mean to insult you. I mean, I would have, but you don’t so that’s fine...” He abruptly hides behind a long gulp of his drink. 

Carina shakes her head, but then just starts laughing. When she recovers herself, she traces the etching again. “I feel a little bad for you. I think your old  _ alor _ just passed the mantle as part of a lesson you haven’t figured out you’re getting yet.”

Taldin groans. “Nothing like learning on the job by jamming a boot in my mouth over and over.” 

“Everyone has their own methods, I suppose.” She chuckles. “I’ll save you some awkwardness later and tell you that the answer will  _ always _ be no.”

“That might be for the best. Don’t want to kriff up clan relationships. Literally.” 

“I’d hate for Clan Cerar to be haunted by a spooky  _ dar’jetii _ ghost just because their  _ alor _ doesn’t do all of his thinking with the head on his shoulders.”

Taldin blinks at her. “Why would… I heard you…” He gestures to the obvious fox on her chestplate. “But I thought he was another warrior?” 

Carina stares Taldin in the eye and speaks with grave seriousness. “Yes. He was the best warrior I’ve ever met.” She says nothing else, but watches his expression, trying to see if he understands what she means.

“I…  _ oh _ . I see.” He nods, but his expression says he doesn’t know how to react to that. “And your clan, they… knew? They were fine with that?” 

“He was  _ aliit _ , just like anyone else.” Carina drops the serious demeanor and changes the subject. “Anyway, my advice is that you see a professional for scratching that itch until you  _ do _ want to get married. The elders seem to take it better across the board.”

Taldin groans. “They would… Yeah. Guess I’ll do that. Thanks, Meshurok.” 

“Anytime. The war’s still paying out pretty well. Do you want an invitation next time D’narr and Meshurok go hunting?”

“Appreciate it, I’d love a hunt right now. Get my mind off things.” 

\---

“I got a message from Mardh. He said the cargo was installed properly.  _ I _ didn’t send you a job. I just need to be sure you weren’t acting on your own before he quarantines the planet,” Carina says. Her heart is pounding nearly out of her armor, but if she couldn’t keep cool in a crisis, she wouldn’t have been made  _ alor _ .

Holo-Sebastian rubs his neck. “I must’ve forgotten to tell you. Yeah, it was me. Well. It was Octavian. He heard another rumor about Sa’alle. You know how that sets him off.”

Carina releases her breath and leans against the console. She types a response for Mardh as she speaks. “Fox told him not to do it. Oct isn’t the one getting my sympathy in  _ this _ case.”

“Look, at least he’s not throwing himself at the Sa’alle estate anymore. Saving kids from the Inquisitors is worthwhile.” Sebastian sounds as exhausted by the debacle as Carina is.

“I don’t want kids sent to Korriban any more than you do, but Home doesn’t exactly have teachers for the strong ones.” Even with the state-of-the-art encryption, no one is willing to put a name on Olkin II anywhere near the idea of Forcers.

“It’s a good intermediary.”

“You know my thoughts on the matter.”

The holo sighs and hangs his head. “I know, I know. If Mardh says it’s too hot, I’m gonna find somewhere else, but what would you do if it was  _ you _ ?”

“I’d level Dromund Kaas. If  _ half _ the rumors are true, there’s nothing left to save.”

Sebastian flinches. “Yes, well, he wouldn’t be half as crazy if Na’li’a could conceive.”

“Sebastian…”

“I’m not saying he has it worse than you, Hound. You know that.” He looks half-pleading, but slumps when her glare doesn’t soften. “I’ll work on him.”

“You do that. And be sure to  _ tell _ me next time you ship cargo Home.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Battle Scars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFaBmcCz_HU) \- Paradise Fears
> 
> **Glossary**  
>  _ver'alor_ \- roughly "second in command" Mandalorians as portrayed in this series don't use a lot of defined ranks and strict power structures, so the implication here is more that the ver'alor is in charge should the alor be unreachable or out of commission, but doesn't necessarily outrank anyone else.
> 
> One more chapter and then we move on to Passion, Yet Serenity.


	12. Familiar Landscapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are no coincidences in the Force.

Carina examines the two Mandalorians that walk into her command tent. Their posture is good and their armor is well-tended. Both seem wary of her. While they don’t move with hesitation, they move with deliberate care until they’re sitting across from her. Carina remembers the conversation long ago with Taldin Cerar, about his son’s possible Sith of a mother. 

But the boy must be twenty-five or better, by now. Force Sensitivity would have come up long before. So his wife? Carina’s never heard the name Lalat before, so it’s possible.  _ It’s also entirely possible that there’s just a personality conflict and this has nothing to do with the Force _ …

“I’m Carina,  _ alor _ of Clan Meshurok. Taldin is never terribly verbose in his messages, but I’m afraid he told me effectively nothing about you.” She folds her hands on the table’s top.

The kids glance at each other and then remove their helmets. The girl speaks first. “I’m Lalat and this is Galaar. Taldin believes Meshurok would be… a better fit for us.”

Carina bites back a sigh and manages to keep her face straight only thanks to years of practice. She has to give the girl credit for not trying to hide or disguise the marks on her face, but they’re still the Sa’alle marks. And then there’s the green… Corruption? Disease? “I see we’re going to be direct. You’re one of Sa’alle’s daughters and since you have the marks, you’re Force sensitive.”

Lalat raises one of her eyebrows. “You’re surprisingly well-informed on my former family’s marks.”

Carina raises one right back. “I had best be well-informed, if you’re going to be joining my clan.”

Galaar clears his throat and glances around the room before bursting out with, “It’s not just her. I’m Sensitive, too.” He looks like he’s about to throw up.

His wife sighs, but pats him on the shoulder comfortingly.

“Are you?”

“Only technically,” Lalat answers for him. “In a crisis, he can flip a switch in the next room, but practically speaking, he’s not a Forcer.”

“Well that explains why he didn’t send you to me earlier, Galaar. Moving on, Lalat, are you dying?”

Lalat’s face scrunches up. “No? Why would you ask that? Is that a standard question?”

“Half your face is green,  _ cyare _ ,” Galaar gently reminds her.

“Oh,  _ that _ , no. Well… As far as Lord Aucht knows, I’m fine.”

This time Carina does give in and roll her eyes. “That little shit is laughing at me, isn’t he? Oh yes, your revenge is very clever,” she says with as much sarcasm as she can muster, even though Octavian isn’t there.

“I take it you’re acquainted?”

“He  _ was _ your uncle’s best friend.”

Lalat grabs her left wrist and leans across the table. “You know who my father is?”

“No, but your mother’s older brother was my husband.”

Lalat stares, open-mouthed. “She doesn’t have any siblings.”

“Not anymore,” Carina says pointedly.

“Supposedly, you don’t have any sisters, either,” Galaar adds.

Lalat stares at Carina with narrowed eyes and significantly more calculation. “So you want to kill her, too.”

“When I can do it without getting my family killed, that bitch is dead.”

Lalat smirks. “In that case, I’m happy to join.”

\---

“Someone to see you, Hound,” Ty’lk says from the door to the armory.

Carina doesn’t look up from the chestpiece she’s working on. “I trust you to handle it.”

“It’s a Jedi.”

“So tell him to kriff himself.”

“He’s here about Sa’alle.”

Carina sighs and deactivates her plasma torch. She runs her fingers over the half-finished etching and then stands. “Of course he is. Do I know him?”

“Master Yollan Ster. He commanded a company in the Republic Navy in the last war. Has since joined some group called the Soldiers of Kyrsha. There’s a note from Tiyaar that says he’s honorable, for a  _ jetii _ .”

Carina nods to him and walks out of the armory and towards the command tent. “Call Tiyaar while I’m talking to him. Find out why they added that and then ask Atonai if he still wants a shot at Sa’alle.”

Carina doesn’t bother finding her helmet before meeting the Jedi, she just walks in and sits heavily in her chair. “Master Ster. My man tells me you’re here about Sa’alle.”

The Jedi nods. His hands are folded in his lap and his posture is determined. “Taldin Cerar, ah, forwarded me to you, as it were.”

Carina throws one arm over the back of her chair and raises an eyebrow at him. “Alright, I’ll bite, what lead you to  _ Cerar _ of all clans?”

Ster shifts in his seat and Carina can see he’s moving his hands under the table. “My order recently neutralized Darth Rencarn. We rescued many of Sa’alle’s… daughters in the process. One of them is…” His face looks haunted for a moment before he regains control of himself. “One of them is well-enough to work with us. She said Xalonie Sa’alle was well-liked and respected by Clan Cerar. Enough so that they might take exception to her murder at her mother’s hands.”

Carina rubs her temples as she absorbs this information. Thoughts whirl across her mind, in complete chaos unless… “Tell me, Ster, do you believe in coincidences?”

Instead of parroting the line about the Force he says simply, “No.”

“Yeah, neither did Fox. Right then, let me guess. You’ve got some sorta hereditary mark of your own. On the left wrist.”

The Jedi pulls his hands out of his lap and pulls up his left sleeve, showing her a twisted, red knot. “My family were Sith once.”

Carina activates the holocomm on the table. “Ty’lk.”

“Yes?”

“Bring me Lalat and Galaar.”

“Right away,  _ alor _ .”

“Taldin said I should speak to Lalat and Galaar individually, if you didn’t want to commit the clan,” says Ster.

Carina only says, “Coincidence,” as they wait.

Galaar enters and stands at attention, but Lalat comes immediately to the table, sweeping her eyes over the Jedi. Her hand snaps out with superhuman speed, but the Jedi still catches her by the wrist before she can grab his.

Then Ster looks up into his assailant’s face and his own pales.

Carina makes herself comfortable and resists the urge to check her chrono.

“Are you… Xalonie?” Ster’s hope is heavy in the air.

Lalat doesn’t seem affected, however, and instead demands, “Who are you?”

Carina catches Galaar’s eye before the boy can interrupt and she gestures for him to pull up a chair. When the boy finally sits, his face is etched with equal parts worry and confusion.

“I’m Jedi Master Yollan Ster.” Despite the girl’s open hostility, the Jedi stares at her in wonder.

Lalat rips her wrist from his grasp. She points to his bared wrist. “That’s not a Jedi mark.”

“My family was once known as Lestére.”

The girl nods slowly and her posture shifts from hostile to regal. “A powerful line. It’s no wonder she feared me.”

The pieces must finally click together in Galaar’s mind because he lets out an audible “Oh” and looks at the Jedi with far more interest.

Ster holds his left hand out to Lalat. “I tried to save you. I did  _ everything _ I could.”

Lalat’s face contorts with anger, but before she can let out whatever scathing remark she crafted, the Jedi staggers on with his own words.

“Please forgive me. I know it wasn’t enough. I’m so sorry.”

The tears in the Jedi’s eyes are enough to push past Carina’s irritation and resentment at the Force. She stands and grabs Galaar by the arm. “Let’s give them some privacy, kid. I’m sure she’ll tell you the salient details later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Familiar Landscapes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjmuUkjmEuc) \- New Found Glory. 
> 
> Lol, I apologize for that video, but it's from 2008, so what do you expect?
> 
> The full playlist can be found [here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN4D9qpIubvsAFSiE8fiTOGRUbAcyp0VF). 
> 
> The next part of Legacies should not be read alone, so if you're interested and only read this, please go back and read everything.
> 
> Alternatively, a AU of this story (which is told from Fox's POV and includes soulmate-identifying marks) can be found [if you follow this link.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12874749)


End file.
